Headlights
Some Racing, Some Stopping
Polyvinyl Record Co.
originally published March 12, 2008
Take the sentimental formula for all of the “broken-but-happy” indie movies you’ve seen in the past five years - Garden State, Little Miss Sunshine, The Science of Sleep, Juno - toss it into an adult-sized music box with glockenspiels, sparkly guitars, tambourines, Wurlitzers, and Leslies, and it will most likely produce the sound of the Headlights' well-crafted Some Racing, Some Stopping. With a papier-mâché approach to overlapping subtle textures and melodic gestures, the band aims for Phil Spector and hits stylistically around the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, making a melatonin-inducing addition to your bedtime soundtrack.
With the success of Ohio-based indie label Saddle Creek in the mid-90s and beyond, it’s no wonder that the Headlights’ stargazing Midwestern sound is instantly recognizable. For fans of Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie, the band’s sophomore release is an instant sell. Vocals are delivered in melodic whispers under a canopy of reverb without becoming washed out. Like other music in its genre, the album shines where it creates a panoramic view of the seemingly involuntary. “Wouldn’t it be sorta strange if we can hear our hearts all beating at once / some racing, some stopping / some skippin’ and droppin’ while we’re listening?” the title track naively questions.
Though where the Headlights deliver in style, they lack in substance. Several tracks are distractingly derivative, which ultimately subtracts from the band’s sincere intentions (the closing track sounds more like Elliott Smith’s than their own). At best, the album sounds… endearing. Infuse that into something passionate and it might translate into something memorable.
The Billionaires
Really Real For Forever
Too Soon
originally published March 12, 2008
It would be pretty astonishing if the Billionaires were, in fact, the band that can be found at www.billionairesband.com, a collection of middle-aged dudes (and one lady) in Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses, and for half a second, I thought these new indie poppers from Martha’s Vineyard just had an impressive commitment to ironic humor. But that would be at odds with their sweet, sincere sound. The first song (and clearly the hit single) might be called “The End of Summer,” but most of the tunes are instead fresh with the glorious hope of the end of school and what is still sort of the beginning of baseball season. None of it exactly sounds like AM gold, but much of it produces the same warm, happy feeling, and the presence of five different voices, often working in concert, means little chance of dismissing the record because you’re annoyed by the vocals.
The song “Eighties Movies” smacks of stupid nostalgia by those too young to have experienced those flicks the first time around, but it combines ballad with bleepy noises and serious, crunchy guitar in a way that drives away irritation with the premise. It’s promptly followed by “Pass the Bottle,” an ideal drunken, chaotic sing-along, then “NY Cab,” an effective imitation of '60s French pop. In short, the band has command of many genres, and while the album loses some steam toward the end, it’s easy enough to start it over and melt back into that first lovely song.
Mars Arizona
Hello, Cruel World
Big Barn
originally published March 12, 2008
The San Francisco duo of Nicole Storto and Paul Knowles goes by the name Mars Arizona, a moniker that hints at both worlds unexplored and those mundanely familiar, celestial aspirations and a dusty earthen reality. It’s appropriate for a band that reaches great heights, yet remains tethered to American music traditions - that sense of tradition is both Mars Arizona's biggest asset and its only drawback.
The track “Circus” is a high point on the album, highlighting Knowles’ smoky grumble; placed as it is alongside Al Perkins’ wistful pedal steel - David Grisman pops up on mandolin as well - it comes across as weary yet resolute, clued in to something about human nature that’s worthy of a grim smile, a defeated chuckle. It’s not too far off from sardonic mid-period Leonard Cohen, if he chose to spend some time down at the bar or out at the farm, rather than secluded up on some mystic mountain writing poems. “Good to Be Lucky” sees Storto take the lead, and her voice ably remains haunting yet crisp.
If anything, Hello, Cruel World plays too easily inside its own sandbox; if Mars Arizona stepped beyond its own boundaries and were a little less staid and tasteful, the duo could accomplish something particularly exciting. For now, though, be satisfied with a completely well-made and wholly thought-out album (that comes with a T. Rex, Neil Young and Loretta Lynn covers, to boot). A cruel world, perhaps, but a fine look at it.
Mars Arizona is playing at Little Kings on Thursday, Mar.13.
The Mars Volta
Bedlam in Goliath
GSL/Strummer/Universal
originally published March 12, 2008
The fourth studio album from increasingly experimental prog-rock band The Mars Volta is probably the band's most polarizing album to date. It's the first album that feels less like the prog-rock amalgamation The Mars Volta is known for, and more like an experiment in sound. From Cedric Bixler-Zavala's first howls on "Aberinkula" to the fading static of "Conjugal Burns," Bedlam in Goliath comes at you hard and fast. This album, like most of the previous Mars Volta records, is like an exercise in movie watching. Instead of forcing the listener to piece together the story, like in Frances the Mute or De-loused in the Comatorium, Bedlam gives it to you right up front. The difference is that this time the plot holes are too big to make any damn sense out of it. Still, that doesn't necessarily make for a bad movie; it just makes for a confusing one. Bedlam is packed with the same eyebrow-raising arrangements and inventive use of distortion, static and reverb that made De-loused such a powerhouse debut. But this sonic inventiveness is wasted on a couple of songs that are just garbage. "Tourniquet Man" and "Askepios" are two such songs that might make some question why they started listening to The Mars Volta in the first place. But the boys in the band definitely make up for those blunders with songs like the funky, fuzzed out "Ilyena" and the Spanish meltdown "Agadez." The best song on the album has to be "SoothSayer"; a beautiful Middle Eastern flavored piece that will engulf you with emotion. There's something so compelling about the melody that it just pulls you in. Perhaps all the stories of how this album came to be are true; stories of Ouija boards and flooded studios, stories full of mystical and mysterious circumstances. In any case, this album is not for the casual listener. But for the devoted fans, it's definitely worth hearing The Mars Volta's new direction, and it'll be even more interesting to see where the band goes next.
Birds & Wire
Sanford's Drive
Independently Released
originally published March 12, 2008
The songs of Birds & Wire are driven by the voice and lyrics of songwriter Leralynn. Although she is backed by respected Athens musicians Neal Fountain, Marlon Patton and Robby Handley, the record feels more like a solo project, and that has everything to do with her outstanding skill - not the weakness of any supporting players.
Leralynn's full-bodied, crystal clear voice rings with the same magnetism of Neko Case or Jenny Lewis. Even when she sings of heartbreak and struggle, there is a warmth that pulls you; you can almost feel the tickle of static as her whispers cling to your ears.
Even within the span of this brief five-song EP, Leralynn is able to create an enveloping sense of intimacy. With her insight and eloquence, she seems wise and nurturing. You want to tell her your stories, share your troubles, and have her sing it back to you with all the answers. Perhaps Leralynn can draw in listeners so easily because she shares so much of herself. Even within the upbeat chorus of opening track "On the Line," there is a permeating depth of emotion. First she sings with an air of flippant confidence: "And all the times you tried to tell me what it was I wasn't doing / I somehow never heard a word." Then, just when you think she's above influence, her vulnerability is revealed as she pleads, "So let me call you on the phone and cry so I won't feel alone." Spend an hour with Birds & Wire, and you might find your own confidante in these tunes.
Birds and Wire's CD release party is on Thursday, Mar. 13 at the Caledonia Lounge.
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